The Dandy Warhols – Powerstation September 20, 2017

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“We’re the MTV generation. We feel neither highs or lows”
“What’s it like?”
“Meh”

The (mis)quote from The Simpson came from a time when both it and MTV were relevant. As someone who was a child in the 90s, it was confusing to see the likes of Kurt Cobain and Billy Corgan screaming their frustrations into a kaleidoscopic ether. It was a channel that promoted fucking and being fucked by ‘The Man’ in equal measures and a brand of cool that was a mixture of nostalgia, existentialism and indifference.

How true this stereotype through the lens of hindsight and University level Pop Culture papers is a question for another article. But I would suggest that it is no surprise that The Dandy Warhols were established against this backdrop 23 years ago in Portland, Oregon.

After all, they are a band perhaps best known for the refrain “Cause I like you/yeah I like you/And I’m feeling so bohemian like you/and I feel whoa ho woo” It’s a line that is both devastatingly self-aware in its disingenuousness, yet eager for you to like it.

Their garage-rock meets neo-psychedelic sound is divisive amongst critics and music fans alike. Naysayers dismiss them as rehashed pastiches strung out on their own egos (a viewpoint undoubtedly supplemented by rewatchings of DiG) While believers acknowledge their place in 1990s alternative rock and acknowledge their subsequent impact on the early aughties garage rock revival.

I put myself in the latter camp, and was relieved to find myself not disappointed by their performance at the Powerstation last night.

Opening act Ha the Unclear showcased their quirky hook-driven indie pop with aplomb. They made up for only having half the stage by making a harmonious ruckus. Singer Michael Cathro’s vocals gave a distinct sense of place which juxtaposed nicely with their universal sound. The constant interplay between the familiar music-three piece harmonies and jangly guitar work- and bizzare lyrics about a phobia of mannequins and a surreal bus ride down Mt Eden Rd-are what really makes Ha the Unclear stand out and warmed the crowd up nicely. Buy their record, you won’t regret it.

If you’ve ever read a live review of The Dandy Warhols, you’ll know it can either be an angsty drug fuelled train wreck or Really Good depending on the year, the mood, the album.

Luckily, heroin is so passé (sorry) and Distortland is The Dandy Warhol’s strongest record in years. Opener Mohammed from —Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia sets the bar high. Percussionist Zia McCabe’s energy is immediately infectious; she is beaming as she shakes her maracas, plays her keyboard and dances simultaneously. Her unofficial fan club, which I found myself in front of, did not stop screaming their adulation all night.

Throughout their hour and a half set, Courtney Taylor-Taylor proved himself to still be every inch the nonchalant frontman. Nodding his shoulder length hair out of his eyes, his huskily baritone voice seduced the audience time and time again. It was a shame that the sound mix let him down in points, completely drowning out his vocals or distorting its gruff sweetness. However he was able to show off his range when he led the crowd in a sing along of Welcome To The Monkey House and Every Day Should Be A Holiday.

We were even treated to some banter- when a lone voice called out “What took you so long” Courtney swiftly responded “Because it’s a fucking long way to swim.”  As the evening wore on he became progressively more relaxed, leaping around the stage as layers upon layers of reverb twisted around him.

The set list comprised of only two songs from their latest record and they spent the rest of their time delving into their extensive back catalogue. I Love You was a real highlight of the evening. Grimy, gazey guitarwork glittered against a serpentinely psychedelic base line and ethereal vocals before it all came splintering down in a wall of strobe lights. I was strongly reminded of the Pixies’s B-side Into the White.

The one-two of Bohemian Like You and We Used to Be Friends was a crowd favourite. Going by last night’s performance, The Dandy Warhols are one of those few bands who (when they are on form) sound better live. The two aforementioned songs had a gritty menace and sardonic snarl that wasn’t as prevalent in their recordings and it was immensely enjoyable. If this marks a return to form, let’s hope The Dandy Warhols are back again soon.

Kate Powell

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

 

 

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